Paper and paper making



Patented Apr. 1, 1930 ERNEST LIONNE, OF SWAMPSGOTT, MASSACHUSETTS ramm AND PAPER MAKING Il'o Drawing.

This invention relates to paper making and to a paper containing a substantial amount of celluloid, or a celluloid-like material, contained therein.

One of the objects of the present invention is the provision of a paper sheet or board containing such an amount of celluloid that after the paper has been treated by a suitable solvent for the celluloid and then dried it becomes hard and stiff.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a paper containing celluloid or the like material which, after having been treated with the proper solvent for the celluloid and having been made soft and pliable," 1s adapted to be molded into various shapes and, when dried, to retain permanently the shape that has been imparted to it.

The basic idea of making a paper sheet or board by the mixture of paper making fibres and comminuted celluloid is old. The method of making the sheet, and the sheet so made, is considered crude and impractical, however.

According to the old process, the celluloid is first ground to small particles and is then added to the paper beater wherein it is mixed with the paper making fibres ,and subsequently made into a sheet. Celluloid, when dry, is a very hard horny substance that is difiicult to grind into a fine powder and the grinding is attended with the danger of setting the celluloid on fire as a result of the heat evolved by the friction of the material against the grinding surfaces. The celluloid particles thus prepared are too coarse for a thorough mixture with the fibres. I They are liable to clog the paper making wire. These celluloid particles exist inthe finished sheet as hard, discrete particles which, unless the sheet is subjected to the combined action of heat and severe pressure, have no particular bond with the paper making fibres.

An object of thepresent invention is the provision of'a paper'and a method of making the pa er wherein the deficiencies of the old metho and product are obviated.

Briefly my process consists in making a paper by mixing paper making fibres and precipitated celluloid or simllar material and forming a paper thereof; and this process I have found that the above process may be Application filed November 12, 1928. Serial No. 318,994.

and the product resulting therefrom constitutes a further object of this invention.

While I can precipitate the celluloid directly inthe paper beater, I prefer for reasons of economy and convenience-to form the precipitated celluloid outside the beater and then to add the precipitated celluloid to the paper making fibres in the beater, In carrying out my invention I dissolve the celluloid in a solvent which is miscible with water such as acetone, wood alcohol and the like, or a mixture of such solvents. For example, I have used the' following proportions;

Parts by weight By thus precipitating the celluloid, I obtain the celluloid in fine soft particles without the necessity for grinding and without the formation of heat with its attendant fire hazard. Furthermore,rthe fineness of the particles of the precipitated celluloid and the characteristics imparted to them by the precipitation processw improve their mixture with the paper making fibres and also the paper made from the mixture.

considerably improved in regard to the fineness of the particles of precipitated celluloid by using as a precipitant instead of water a liquid mixture which for convenience I call an emulser. I compose the emulser ina number of ways by mixing to water a certain proportion of the same solvent or mixture of solvents that is used for the dissolution of the celluloid; For example. if a fifteen per cent solution of celluloid had been prepared with I:

" the fine particles of precipitated celluloida solvent or mixture of solvents A, I can precipitate the celluloid from this solution in a satisfactory manner by an emulser consisting of I Parts Solvent A 1 Water 4 3 The celluloid solution must be continually stirred while adding, a little at a time, the precipitant either water or emulser.

I'have found that by using an emulser instead of water as a precipitant, thepreoipitation of the celluloid is less abrupt, it prevents from agglomerating together and gives finallya product which is much more finely divided arid wherein the particles are relatively vsoft. I

When the precipitation is' complete the solution is divided into two distinct layers. In the bottom is a layerof soft and very finely'divided celluloid. At the top is a liquid composed of a mixture of water and solvent. The two layers may be separated by any convenient industrial method as decanta-tion, centrifugation, and the like; The

liquid canbe ultimately distilled or otherwise treated to recover the. solvents. If the proportion .of solvent with the precipitate 0f celluloid is considered to be too high, the precipitate may be washed with additional water,

and the resultant supernatant liquid stored separately, or added to the first liquid to be ultimately distilled or otherwise treated to recover the solvents.-

Theprecipitatedcelluloid is added to the paper making stockin the aper beater. he paper making fibres may e anything-usual as a'ny-cellulosic paper forming material such as'cotton waste, cotton rags, wood pulp and generally the usual paper making materials. The mixture of paper stock and precipitated celluloid is beaten together so that the two are intimately mixed. The beating is concan'be carried out in the usual manner of paper making and with the usual machines, as the Fourdrinier and the" cylindermachine. When a stiff board or sheet is desired, the

characteristics of the celluloid-containingsheet can beutilized advantageously. The

paper can besubjected to the action of a sol vent as ethyl acetate, acetone, methyl methyl alcohol and the like for the celluloid. Under the action of the solventthe celluloid in the paper will be softened and more or less gelatinized. When such paper is subjected to pressure as by passing it through pressure theobject. A. r

The amount of celluloid that can be mixed.

rollers which, preferably, are not heated, the

celluloid will be squeezed in between and around the fibres of the paper and form a concrete film which contains the paper making fibres and fills all of the interstices of the sheet. The paper is then dried in the usual manner and the'resultant dried sheet will be stiff. If desired the solvent vapors formed during the drying process can be condensed and recovered in any suitable solvent-recovery-system.. ,It will be found that when dried,

the stiff paper sheet or board has acquired a degree of'stifl'ness and impermeabillty to Water depending upon the relative proportions of celluloid and paper stock of which the sheet is composed.

1. If a soft paper or board is desired as, for example, for use for molding purposes the paper whenremoved' from the paper making wire or roller will merely be dried andcold calendered with only a slight degree of ressure so as to preserve in the sheet a big degree of porosity. Such a sheet has a large numberof uses. It may be employed for shoe stiifeners, shoe forms, for upholstery, and the like. The method ofnse' of such soft sheet or board usually is substantially the same; the paper or board is subjected to the. action of a celluloid solvent, which can beeither in a liquid or va or form so as to render. the sheet soften pliable. It is then applied, usually with pressure, onthe object the form of which it is to assume, and is then dried in any suitable manner. In drying, the paper will become hard and stiff and will have acquired permanently theform of with the paper. maln'ng fibres in the beater can vary between large limits; For a sheet having certain characteristics I have used the If desired, dyes can be added to the mixture in the beater, thus to produce colored paper sheets.

As stated above, I refer to form the pre' cipitated celluloid in ependently of the paper heater and to add the precipitated celluloid to the paper stock in the beater. By so doing I can recover the solvents for the. celluloid in a much more convenient and economical manner than could be the case if the celluloid solution were added to the beater and the celluloid precipitated therein due to the large amounts'of water used in the beater for carrying the paper stock.

1-. The method of making paperwhich conslsts in intermixing aper stock and precipitatedcelluloid, and orming a paper of such mixture.

following:

I Parts by weight Paper stock 100 Celluloid 50 2. The method of making paper which consists in formin the paper of a mixture of paper making fi res and precipitated celluloid,

3. The method of making paper which consists in forming a paper from a mixture of paper making fibres and precipitated celluloid, and coalescing the celluloid particles.

4. The method of making paper which consists in forming a paper from a mixture of paper making fibres and precipitated celluloid, and coalescing the celluloid particles by treating the paper with a solvent for the celluloid and subjecting the paper, while wet with the solvent, to pressure.

5. The method of making paper which consists in precipitating celluloid from a solution thereof externally of a paper beater, mixing together the precipitated celluloid and paper m'akin stock in the beater, and forming a sheet om such mixture.

6. The method of making paper which consists in precipitating celluloid from a solution thereof, mixing the precipitated celluloid with paper stock, and forming a sheet from such mixture.

7 The method of making paper which consists in mixing together paper making stock and soft partlcles of recipitated celluloid, and forming a paper 0 such mixture.

8. The method of making paper which con.- sists in mixing together paper making stock and solvent-containing precipitated particles of celluloid, and forming a paper of such mixture. a

9. The method of making paper which consists in precipitating celluloid from a solution thereof by water, mixing the precipitated celing fibres and precipitated celluloid particles which have been coalesced. 18. 'Paper composed of a mixture ofpaper making fibres and water-precipitated particles of celluloid.

19. Paper which has been made from an intimate mixture of paper making stock and precipitated celluloid.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ERNEST LIONNE.

luloid with paper stock, and forming a sheet of the mixture.

10. The method of making paper which consists in precipitating celluloid from a solution thereof by adding to the solution a precipitating agent consistsing of a mixture of water and the solvent of the solution, mixing together precipitated celluloid and paper making stock, and forming a sheet of such mixture.

11. The method of making paper which consists in precipitating celluloid from a solution thereof by a precipitating agent consisting of a mixture of the solvent in the solution and a non-solvent liquid with which the solvent is miscible, mixlng together the precipitated celluloid and paper making stock, and forming a sheet of such mixture.

12. Paper composed of paper making fibres and precipitated celluloi 13. The intimate mixture of paper making stock and precipitated celluloid.

14. Paper composed of paper making fibres and precipitated cellouloid distributed amongst the paper making fibres. V 15. Paper composed of paper maklng fibres and soft precipitated particles of cel- 

